Traditional handloom weaving is becoming a growing economic opportunity for women in Zambia as rural cooperatives gain access to technical training, improved production methods and international markets.
For generations, women in rural communities have possessed the skills needed to weave textiles, but limited access to machinery, business knowledge and markets has prevented many from turning those skills into sustainable livelihoods. That is beginning to change through the work of the Handloom and Textile Technology Association of Zambia (HATTAZ), a Lusaka-based member organisation supporting rural women and young people involved in the country’s cotton and textile value chain.
Doris Phiri’s journey reflects that transformation. She joined HATTAZ as an intern when the organisation was still developing its operations and working with rural women who had weaving skills but limited access to commercial opportunities. Her commitment to women’s empowerment and community development eventually led her into a leadership role within the organisation.
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Zambia’s handloom sector sits at the intersection of culture, agriculture and trade. Cotton remains an important agricultural commodity, while handweaving has long been part of rural communities. The challenge has been creating a stronger connection between traditional production and commercial markets so that women can capture greater value from their work.
Support from the International Trade Centre (ITC) through the ACP Business-Friendly programme has helped strengthen that connection. HATTAZ received technical assistance in advanced weaving, product development, branding, quality control and market access, while master trainers were developed within local communities.
Training and organisational support have reached women in Chadiza, Mazabuka, Ndola, Choma, Petauke and Katete, helping cooperatives formalise their operations and improve their ability to participate in the textile market. According to Phiri, the impact has gone beyond technical training. Women have increasingly moved from simply producing handwoven products to understanding quality requirements, developing products, accessing markets and building greater visibility for their work.
The commercial results are also becoming visible. In 2024, following an ITC-supported regional training programme carried out in collaboration with WeEffect, women’s cooperatives generated more than $7,000 from international product sales.
The achievement demonstrates how connecting rural producers with skills and international buyers can create new income opportunities and strengthen participation in global value chains.
Building on those gains, HATTAZ has secured additional support from WeEffect through the Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Cotton Value Chain project. The initiative focuses on financial literacy, climate-smart innovation, handloom quality standards and advocacy for policies that promote greater gender equality within the cotton value chain.
Phiri now coordinates the project, continuing a journey that began with her internship at HATTAZ. Her experience illustrates how strengthening local organisations can create leadership opportunities while supporting broader economic empowerment among rural women.
For Zambia, the development of the handloom sector offers more than the preservation of traditional craftsmanship. Better access to markets, improved product quality and stronger business skills could help rural women increase their earnings, create employment and participate more effectively in national and international trade.
As Zambia seeks to expand value addition across its agricultural and manufacturing sectors, the country’s women-led handloom movement shows how traditional skills can become a foundation for modern entrepreneurship, stronger rural economies and greater participation in global markets.